Reik slowly regained consciousness. As he opened his eyes, the weight of exhaustion still pressed heavily on his eyelids. He scanned his surroundings and noticed that, not far away, the girls were resting deeply.
"Isn't someone supposed to stay awake on guard in a situation like this?" he muttered with a faint grimace. Still, deep down, he wasn't really annoyed; after the battle against Vault's forces, everyone had been pushed to their limits.
Trying to clear his mind, he opened the group chat. Just as he was about to send a message to Miko, a wave of notifications flooded the interface.
[Ding! New members have joined the chat group!]
[Kaguya] has joined the group.
[Inukimi] has joined the group.
[Celestine] has joined the group.
[Zesshi] has joined the group.
[Amira] has joined the group.
Saeko: More people joined…?
Miko: Huh?! More people?!
Olga: …I see. I hope they're not ordinary.
As he read Olga's message, Reik instinctively turned his head. His eyes met those of the dark elf.
She was awake.
Meanwhile, the chat was exploding with confusion.
Kaguya: "…What is this."
Inukimi: "Interesting… Who dares cast an illusion on me?"
Celestine: "Oh my… this is quite intriguing~"
Mitsuri: Wow, so many people joined! I guess I'm definitely not the strongest here anymore.
Miko: …
Reik: …
Reik reviewed the names. No matter how much he searched his memory, he couldn't place all of them immediately. Still, noticing the confusion—and knowing the chat had no leader—he decided to take the initiative.
Reik: Welcome. This is a chat group that connects people from different worlds.
Amira: "Wow, that's amazing! I've never heard of something that allows people to communicate from such distances…"
'Wow, she believed that way too easily,' Reik thought, slightly surprised. Normally, people would demand proof in situations like this.
Zesshi: I see… is this some kind of World Item?
Reik raised an eyebrow.
"Zesshi… World Item?" he murmured to himself.
Suddenly, realization struck him. He remembered that world—the one where the protagonist was an undead overlord, a skeletal being of absolute power.
So he decided to test it.
Reik: "Zesshi Zetsumei… from the Slane Theocracy?"
Zesshi: …Oh? You know me. Are you from my world? Are you strong?
Reik didn't answer immediately. He evaluated what he remembered—Zesshi's world operated on an entirely different power scale. A trace of envy surfaced… but quickly faded.
In his own world, Reiki was formidable for direct combat, but it had clear limitations.
'It's fortunate my system doesn't rely on external tools, but on strengthening my body through Reiki,' he reflected silently. 'But Reiki still limits me to basic barriers and brute force. If I want to survive among these new members… I'll need to learn Aura… or maybe Mana, like Chloe uses, to enhance my body.'
He quickly shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. That was something for later.
He refocused on the chat.
Reik: I'm not from your world. And for now… I'm not as strong as you.
Inukimi: "Fufu… how honest."
Zesshi: What a shame…
Just as Reik thought things were calming down—
Celestine: "So you're the wicked Olga… I thought so."
Celestine had reviewed the previous messages and seen Olga's shared image, recognizing her instantly.
Olga: "Tsk. So you're the pathetic Celestine from my world… How annoying that you ended up here too."
Mitsuri: Girls! I don't know why you don't get along, but please don't fight. We're a family now, right? We can talk things out!
Saeko: "This chat is getting lively… so many powerful people. I'm jealous."
Reik analyzed Saeko's message. It sounded casual, but he knew her well—she craved strength.
Reik: "Saeko, you're skilled with the sword, right? I recommend you visit Mitsuri's world. There's no magic, but they use 'Breathing Techniques.' For someone like you, it would be a huge leap."
Saeko: Really?
Mitsuri: Huh?! You want to come learn? That would be amazing! I'd love to meet you in person—no problem at all!
Saeko: Thanks, I'll go when I can.
Zesshi: I see… I checked the past conversations, and there was no mention of breathing techniques. You seem to have quite a few secrets, Reik.
Even Olga, sitting just a few meters away, looked at him with renewed intensity—somewhere between curiosity and suspicion.
Reik made a slight grimace and, after a brief pause, typed his final response.
Reik: I'm an exorcist. It's normal for me to know a few things.